Anyone but Me
by Nymphadora Andromeda Tonks
Summary: Nymphadora Tonks is an auror, top of her class, while Harry Potter, although he is the defeater of the most powerful wizard of all time, Lord Voldemort, is simply a trainee. And she will not let him love her—It is not in the rules to do so. What happens t
1. The End is only the Beginning

Anyone but Me

Prequel.  
The End is Just the Beginning

As soon as the death eaters arrived at Hogwarts, Harry Potter knew it was time. Time to fulfill his destiny. At his command, the entire DA would willingly join in the fighting… but it was not their time, at least not yet. So it was strictly the teachers, Harry and his closest friends, against some of the cruelest witches and wizards in the world at first. The members of the DA knew that when Harry Potter gave the signal, that they were to distract the Death Eaters at all costs, while he dueled with their master. Dueled with their master, Lord Voldemort.

As red and yes, even green flashes of light flickered around the Great Hall, Harry gathered up his nerve and waited. That was the plan. As soon as Voldemort arrived, then the DA would join in suddenly, and he, Harry would be able to fulfill what had been spoken some eighteen years earlier.

Suddenly, there was silence in the hall as the doors burst open, revealing a tall, pale figure in dark black robes. Lord Voldemort had finally arrived at Hogwarts.

"Harry Potter." He hissed. "We meet again. Prepare to die."

"I do not intend to die so soon Tom."

"You dare call me that! Worthless fool! Crucio!"

Harry fell to the ground wreathing in pain. The pain ceased for a moment before coming on full strength yet again. Suddenly Harry heard a voice inside his head. A voice that was not his own.

"Prepare to die fool. You refused to join me the last time we met, and we will not meet again. Not after I am through dealing with you."

It was Lord Voldemort. Possessing him, Harry.

With a mighty shove, Harry shoved the self made Lord Voldemort out of his mind, before standing up and speaking to his startled enemy.

"I believe that you are nearly correct Tom. We will never meet again. But it will be after I deal with you. And before Voldemort could utter a single curse, Harry Potter spoke. Just one word but it was enough.

"Amourticus"

Time seemed to stand still, for every figure in the hall, student, teacher, or Death Eater alike stopped in their duels to watch the one happening before them.

The golden beam struck him square on the chest. It kept on coming. Everyone was holding his or her breaths.

Was it going to work?

Was the spell that Hermione Granger had invented going to rid the world of one of the most powerful wizards of all time?

Voldemort looked as if he were feeling something strange, something he had never before felt before.

Was it working?

Suddenly he groaned.

"No! Please, not this. Not that…"  
With a last anguished wail, Lord Voldemort crumpled to the floor at the feet of Harry Potter. He was dead.

It was a moment of which Harry would never, could never ever forget. Or anyone else in the hall at that moment in time. Himself. Harry Potter. Standing over the lifeless body of his worst enemy. He was dead. Dead. Finally. Lord Voldemort was dead. It was over. The final battle had happened right after NEWTS. And now he, Harry Potter could live his life to the fullest. At last. For his greatest enemy was dead. Gone, Forever.


	2. Training Begins

Harry Potter, Nymphadora Tonks, Ron Weasley, Victor Krum, Hogwarts, Durmstrang, everything in the books… these are several of the millions of things that I, sadly do not own. Only Janté, the Amourticus spell, and the cult are mine.

Training Begins

Four Months and fifteen days after the Final Battle  
(First Monday of October)

"All right now. Listen up. For those who do not know me, you can call me Tonks. I am going to be one of your trainers for the next three years, so you have better learn what I have to teach you. Your life could depend on it. Now, everyone, introduce yourselves to each other along with something about you and what school you went to. Say something you are good at. If you already know the person, then great. Do you have a significant someone? What is their name? Now begin!"

"My name is Ron Weasley. I went to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Great Britain. I enjoy playing Quiddich, and my girlfriend Hermione helped defeat Voldemort with her spell."

Ron spoke the last part rather quickly. It still seemed so new to him, although he and Hermione had been going rather steady for the last three months. He always told people about the spell that she had invented, the spell, which combined love and death, and destroyed evil magic, which only a few people could cast.

"Thank you Ron. Next!"

"My name es Janté Stellete. I went to de Academy of Magic en Spain. I adore gatos… cats. I do not have anyone important."

"Thank you Janté."

The next person to introduce himself caused several people in the group to start whispering. It was almost well known that this was not his first choice in careers. After all, it had only been a year and a half since his terrible accident. The accident had made him unable to play professional Quiddich ever again.

"My name is Victor Krum. I vent to Durmstrang. I play—played for the Bulgaria national Quiddich team. My girlfriend, her name ez Evelita."

"Thank you Victor. I am so sorry about your accident."

"Thank you Miz Tonkz. You are very kind."

"Next."

"My name is Harry Potter, and I also went to Hogwarts. Ron and his girlfriend are my best friends. I have no girlfriend, nor do I want one now."

"You defeated you-know-who, I mean Voldemort! Shouldn't you have said that as well? I mean, that makes you practically famous!"

"Ye, I could have, I suppose. It just is not that important to me."

"Why not?"

"Because I do not want that to make up who I really am. Yes, ridding the world of Voldemort in a good thing, but I just do not want to be known only for that. I want to go out and create my own future; I do not want to be known only by the fact that I fulfilled a prophecy that was made before I was even born. I want to create my own life. Now, Tonks, can we finish up with the introductions? Maybe you should also join in and introduce yourself? Say something about you? There are many things that are quite interesting."

"Oh all right then. My name is Tonks, and I will not tell you my given name. I can change my appearance at will, as I am a metamorphous. And my personal life is none of your business. So, now that you know something about each other, head over to Kingsley over there to receive your schedules. Ron, Harry, stay with me for a moment, there is something which I need to share with you two."

When everyone else was gone, Tonks turned to the two of them. Her face was grim.

As you two are members of the Order of the Phoenix, I have decided that you two will be the first of the new trainees to learn about the new threat. Yes, it has only been four months since Lord Voldemort was killed, and Harry, you did the world a great deed when you did it, but the point is, there have been a number of odd disappearances of former Death Eaters since then. My theory is that…"

Tonks continued talking, but Harry had stopped listening. What was that that he just felt when she was commenting on his killing lord Voldemort back in June? He had never felt remotely like that before. It was somewhat like how he had felt when he had been…

Before he could continue pondering this bit of information, Ron jabbed him in his side with his elbow. Harry looked over at Ron, who gestured weakly towards Tonks, mouthing, "Listen to her."

As Harry once again started to pay attention to what she was saying, he felt himself coming back to reality by the shocking contents of what Tonks was actually was saying to them.

"…And so I told him that it was probably a cult of some sort who was out to rid the world of all evil. Although the group consider themselves to be the saviors of the wizarding world, they themselves brutally kill their victims so that they cannot be recognized by appearance alone. This forces the aurors into doing magical tests on the remains, and because there have been many, though it has remained relatively unknown to the rest of the world; this has been spreading us rather thin. I am worried over the fact that there might be plans to attack the Ministry of Magic.

Ron and Harry were sickened that there would people in the world that would use violence to fight violence. But of course, there were people all around the world that used this method… for Wizard and Muggle alike. It sadly, was one of the bitter truths of the world. A bitter truth that both Ron and Harry hoped from that moment on to devote as much time as was necessary to rid the world of as much of that evil as possible.


	3. Ancient Spells of Old

Chapter Three 

Ancient Spells of Old

"…And this, here is the section of the Ministry Library that belongs to Auror Headquarters." Tonks continued, after she muttered a few words and opened the ancient red mahogany doors, which appeared before her.

"Wow!" everyone exclaimed nearly at once. "This is gigantic!"

"This library must be gigantic if only one section is this big."

"I have never seen a library anywhere near this large!"

"Even en Spain, our library es much smaller than this one es. I am very Impressed"

Victor, who apparently had never before seen this many books at one place at once, during his entire life, wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Look at all those books!"

"To bad Hermione could not be here, right Ron? She would absolutely love it."

"Right." Ron said dully.

"What's wrong Ron?"

"I _do_ wish that she was here right now. Maybe then she would agree to become an auror. I mean, with all these books… you could probably get lost, and just in this section alone! Maybe I could take her here sometime… I am sure that she would enjoy it here…and if she did not, then we could always…" Ron paused, searching for the right words.

"Ron, you could always do what? Let me guess…you could always snog yourselves senseless without anyone ever finding you? Is that what you meant by it? I am sure that Hermione would be… let me see… well either pleased that you thought about her, or disgusted that you would even think of doing it here, with millions of books as witness to that exciting event. Is this what you meant by that comment Ron?"

Ron flushed.

"Oh come on… Of course that was not what I had had in mind," he paused before continuing, "But I am sure that that would not be too much of a problem…"

Ron gulped. And it was for a very good reason. Tonks, Janté, Harry, and Victor were all staring strangely at him. Harry, of course had been joking, but Ron had taken the idea seriously to heart.

"Snog someone senseless en 'ere? You must surely be joking! It es so… so, dusty!"

After a moments silence, Tonks spoke up again. What she briskly said caused everyone to groan.

"All right everyone. For the next week, you will be getting acquainted with as many books in a given section as you can. You will then switch with someone else, until you have acquired a familiarity with each of our groups sections. Janté, as your specialty is potions, I would like you to come over here to this section here. And Victor, Harry, as both of your specialties are defense, I have decided that Victor will get defense this week, while Harry will get transfiguration. Ron, as you did quite well on your Charms NEWT, you will get that section. I will need a report from each of you by the end of the week. Thirty inches covering twenty new spells or ten potions that you have not dealt with before. You will write down what the incantation, wand motion, and the spell of charms' uses. While you, Janté with the potions, will write down the supplies that you would need as well as the effects of the ingredients, how long it takes to brew, and so on. Practical lessons will begin next week, and will take place in the mornings. You will work in here in the afternoons. Any questions? No? Well let us begin."

Thirty minutes later, Harry had just picked out his second book. It had been laying behind a section on the basic theory of Transfiguration, which did not seem to have been moved for generations.

Harry gingerly dusted the cover, hoping for some sort of identification. There was none.

When Harry looked closer, he realized that the reason he had been attracted to this book had been because of the cover. Yes, it intrigued him, but not because of what was embellished on it, but by what was missing… a title… or a name. The book was covered with a faded dark brown cover of a type of substance that was unknown to him. Embellished onto the cover was an emblem of two crossed wands… nothing more.

"I wonder what this book holds. It sure does not say anything about its contents from the outside." Harry mused out loud to himself. "Maybe if I opened it there will be something inside the cover…"

Harry opened the book, where much to his astonishment, there were only two words. A name.

Harry whistled softly.

Yes, it _was_ only a single name, but in the letters that formed it, was shown a great power, a power of which only the person had every known to be his own. The person who had written the ancient book.

"Godric Gryffindor."


	4. Irresistible Charms

Chapter Four  
Irresistible Charms

As the next couple months dragged by, Harry began to realize just exactly how much work being an auror was, and exactly how difficult and sometimes dull it could get. For not only did they have to study out of books, but they also had to be able to do complicated spells and potions in front of the entire group of trainees, which seemed to grow immensely when more than one group of 'students' trained together, which was happening more and more frequently as the weeks rolled on by. And also, to Harry and Ron's and everyone else's dismay, there was plenty of paperwork for all of the trainees to be done in their free time.

There had been a great fuss for some time in the Ministry of Magic after Harry had found the lost book of Godric Gryffindor, as it was now called. But it was now settling down for the holidays, as Christmas was quickly approaching.

"Now it seems as if I cannot do anything useful," Harry muttered to himself as he paused in writing on his weekly paper.

This time he was writing about how, with any charm or spell, if applied incorrectly, could go terribly wrong. Harry and Ron had found, soon after the lessons had begun, that these teachers, who were really aurors, held no whim against giving long and difficult assignments, many of which were a nuisance at times because of the ridiculous amounts of work which they required.

"I just wish that I could be doing something useful, for once. Yes, I know they say that if I know the basics, then soon I will know the difficult things as well. But I thought that what we had learned at Hogwarts would be basics enough, but apparently that is less than basic. And I have just three years to learn all this, while at Hogwarts, we went for seven."

"If only I had been allowed to look at the book I had found," Harry snorted disgustedly. "Then maybe it would be a bit more interesting around here."

"Is everything alright Harry?" he looked up, and groaned inwardly to himself. "How much of his opinions had she overheard? Was she going to get mad at him for saying all of that?" Suddenly a new thought popped into his mind. A totally foreign one, a thought that was still his very own thought, no matter how much it seemed otherwise. "Would she consider going out with me?"

Harry gave a double take at that last thought, wondering where it had come from. He really needed to go over his priorities, if it was truly possible that he had just realized that he fancied someone.

Suddenly he realized that she was standing there in front of him, waiting patiently for his answer.

"Oh, yes, yes, I am just fine," Harry heard himself stammer, all the while bemoaning the fact that he was blushing a bright rosy red…

"Are you sure Harry? You looked a bit peaked. Is there anything that I could do for you?"

Numbly, Harry shook his head negatively.

"No-o I am fine." He stammered out, flushing even more to his embarrassment.

"Ok then Harry." She started to walk off again, before pausing and turning around. "And Harry? You will be allowed to seethe book really soon. After Christmas in fact."

"Hey Tonks… would you want to…"

"Yes Harry? Is there anything that I could do for you?"

Harry took a deep breath before willing himself to continue.

"It's now or never." He thought franticly to himself before continuing with his request.

"Tonks? Would you want to go out with me? Anywhere you want…"

She looked startled at first. And then she looked a bit sad.

Quietly, she spoke.

The one word that he had been secretly dreading.

"No. I'm sorry Harry. I just can not."

"Maybe another time?" Harry practically begged.

"I'm sorry Harry, I just cannot do it… ever."

Without another word, Nymphadora Tonks left, leaving behind a much-disheartened Harry Potter.

And without another word, Harry turned back to his paper. Although he only had another five inches to write, he suddenly found that he did not have the heart to finish it… at least not that day.

"Besides," Harry silently told himself, "There is always the weekend. I can finish it then."

Although it was only six thirty in the evening, Harry decided that he could not stand being awake any longer. A hot shower and then his bed were just what he needed right now, he decided to himself as he slowly cleaned up his parchment, quills and books and apparated back to the flat he shared with Ron. Yes, that was exactly what he needed.


	5. Girl Trouble

Author's Note. "Harry Potter is not mine. Absolutely nothing about him or his entire world is mine actually. Only Janté the Amourticus spell are mine and anything else I create. Other than that, I am simply playing with the characters that were born from long thought and effort of JK Rowling!

Harry Potter still is having trouble when it comes to girls. Now, he is sure that he has come upon the perfect one for him… but she said no. Heartbroken he goes to Hermione for advice. What will happen because of that encounter with his best friend? And will he ever gain some allies in this nearly impossible mission? How was he going to alter the writings of her heart? Was it even possible?

**Girl Trouble**

"No."

"She said no."

"No."

"Why the bloody hell did I have to ask her out to dinner of all things? She is a bloody six years older than I am, and she is my teacher for Merlin's sake! What could I have been thinking? What Have I done to mess things up like that?"

"I am a blithering fool. A fool. The biggest, the most Idiotic, stupendous one at that... Of course she would say no. I am her student. I am her stupid love-struck student. Of course she would turn me down. What use would she have of me? She has everything. A mum. A job. While all I have is…"

"Harry, what is wrong?"

It was Saturday, and also Ron's weekly visit from Hermione, and Harry, who was feeling extremely glum, had agreed to go along as a sort of chaperone for his two best friends.

"It is nothing."

"I do not think so. Harry, what is wrong?"

"It is nothing Hermione!"

"I am not too sure about that Harry. You have been brooding. And you have not been talking to your friends. This is not like you. I remember the last time you were like this. It was when Cho turned you down in our forth year… oh! It is a girl Harry, is that not it?"

"Yes. And I do not want to talk about it, ok?"

"Who is it mate? Is it Ginny?"

"No! I mean no. She is perfectly happy with the person she is dating now."

Quietly he added something more. Something that only Hermione heard.

"That is something that will never be... at least not for me."

With a quick look at Harry, Hermione turned to her boyfriend.

"Ron? Would you mind if I spoke to him alone…?"

"Sure you can, Mione. If you think that it will work, then of course you can do that."

After giving her a quick peck on the cheek, Ron swiftly left the room. Hermione after watching him leave turned suddenly towards Harry.

Ok, Harry. You can tell me what is wrong.

"Well you see, I knew her before Auror training, but, I mean, it was during training that I really got to know her. I mea, she can be so hilarious Hermione. So funny and sweet at times, though you cannot say that to her face, mind you. She despises sentiment as she calls it. I know. I should. She says that it would make her look like a fool. Well it made me look like one." Harry paused.

"What happened Harry? How did you find out about that?"

"I asked her to have dinner with me. Wherever she wanted to go."

"And she said…?"

"No."

"Oh, Harry. I am so sorry."

"I will be fine…I think."

"Is there anything that I can do to help you with this?"

"Please, I am not ready to face Ron about this. Not yet. Not this soon after I failed in my first attempt."

"All right, Harry."

Hermione paused.

"Do you want me to talk to him for you? I am sure that he would understand your situation. He was in the same place in forth year also... do you remember? And there I had been, waiting for him to ask me. I finally decided to go with Victor, but it was not the same. I am so glad he finally came to his senses. I am sure that the girl of your interest will come round eventually."

Harry nodded dumbly. It probably would never happen, but he might as well agree with her at the moment.

As Hermione was turning to leave, she stopped and spoke.

"Harry, who is she?"

Harry grabbed her arm and whispered the name in her ear.

"Oh, Harry. I did not know. Is there anything that I can do?"

"Yes."

Hermione looked questionably at him.

"Please do not tell anyone who she is. I would simply die from embarrassment."

"All right Harry. Your secret is safe with me."

Without another word, Hermione left the room. She really needed to work this over in her mind. And then, maybe she could have a little talk with Ron and Ginny about the present emotional state of their good friend, Harry Potter.


End file.
